A freak odyssey

By Sinful Starlet

Disclaimer: is it even worth writing these things anymore? Probably not, but you all know nothing DA related belongs to me right? Would it be cancelled if that wasn't true?!

Rating: PG-13 / R. I have issues with ratings - basically I go more on a general atmosphere than anything else, and I think this isn't too kid-friendly!

Summary: Set somewhere during a now hypothetical third season. After the situation at Jam Pony, as the siege at TC continues, Max has just started to get her life back in order, when an old enemy resurfaces to wreak havoc on her life again. And guess what? It's another M/A - completely unapologetically, self-indulgently M/A! I don't care what the writers on the show thought, they are still my favourite couple!

Author's note: Flashbacks #5 and #6. Almost done with these scenes now, working up through 'Dawg Day Afternoon' and 'Love Amongst the Runes'. Just got 'Freak Nation' left to do, but that'll be the next chapter. Anyway, hope ya like this one - few more little insights into Max and Alec's minds as we go along. And can I just add - poor Alec for the beginning of flashback #6 - you'll know what I mean! *SS*

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A freak odyssey

By Sinful Starlet

Flashback #5 - 'Dawg Day Afternoon'

The few days after that had been seriously weird for Max. She had been trying not to think about Logan too much, and about Alec even less. He kept shooting her odd looks, seeing something was wrong with her, but not wanting to intrude by asking what. It was Cindy that made her talk about in the end. They had been standing by the lockers when a pager went off. Max checked hers automatically, but the call was actually for Cindy. "You hopin' it was Logan?" "I don't know why I would," Max said, sighing and leaning back against the lockers, "like I said - it's over".

"I wouldn't be so sure," Cindy replied, studying Max's face clearly. Max had told her the edited version of what had happened the other night with Logan. She knew that they had an argument, but she had really thought Max and Logan were meant to be together - then again, with the way things were at the moment, maybe she was wrong. Max hesitated for a second, but she needed to talk to someone about this, so the honour fell to OC. "Thing is," Max started, "I kinda told him I was seeing someone". "Who?" OC asked, surprised. Of course, that had to be the moment he chose to make an appearance, walking over to his locker with his usual, "Hey, ladies!"

Max rolled her eyes - she had left him at Joshua's to get ready for work over an hour ago, and he was only now turning up! He smiled a quick thank you to Max for getting him the papers to get him out of trouble with the cops, but could see that her Cindy were in the middle of something, so he just left them to it. Max sighed inwardly, but she shifted her eyes to show Cindy that she was looking at Alec. That surprised her then - OC laughed. "You gotta be kidding me!" she said, not seeing the slightly resentful expression on Max's face.

Alec looked over to them a little quizzically, but figured it was probably not something he should be getting into, so he went to find Sketchy. "It was the only way after what happened," Max said, trying to find some kind of explanation. That stopped OC laughing, she hadn't been entirely sure that Max was being serious - but she was now. "I know myself. As mad at him as I am now - little by little, I'd start to forget about it - start hanging with him again".

"And sooner or later you two would accidentally touch again," OC supplied. "We can't risk it," Max said. That much was true at least, she was mad at the guy but that didn't mean she wanted him dead. Cindy nodded, beginning to understand. She was sorely tempted to ask Max why she'd chosen Alec to be her 'new man', but she resisted, guessing quite astutely that Max wouldn't even be able to tell her why. Instead she just asked, "Does he know he's your new squeeze?"

"Hell no!" Max replied quickly, that would make things just a little too complicated. "You planning on tellin' him?" OC asked. Max cast a glance over in his direction now, seriously considering the question. Sure there had been more to Alec than she had thought, she was finally starting to get to know him, but with all this new knowledge, she was confused enough about their 'relationship' - telling him would only complicate things further. "Not if I can help it," she replied, a little forlornly.

* * *

Max spent the rest of the day then, trying to avoid Alec as much as possible. Which it turned out, wasn't somebody else's plan. After they caught the newscast together she had led them off to laser their barcodes, and the situation had been just slightly tense. She wasn't quite up to the stage of ogling him as he lay ass-upwards on the table, but it was still extremely awkward for her. Even more so when they switched positions, and it was him working on her barcode.

He could noticeably feel the muscles under her skin tense as he touched her, but he figured she was just jumpy that morning. It became a little clearer as Logan started to page her, but he still didn't know about the argument, so he didn't know why she was so determined to avoid him. "Come on Max, that's like the tenth time he's paged you," he said gently, "I know you don't particularly want to see him right now, but you can at least talk to him on the phone right?"

But Max wasn't crazy about that idea, just telling him to hurry up. He did so - until his cell phone rang. "Hey buddy, we were just talking about you!" he answered, as he heard Logan's voice, attempting to slightly diffuse the tension of the situation, not hearing Max groan as she realised who he was talking to. "So..." Logan said, after a very long pause, "Max is with you?" That made Alec hesitate for a second, there was something in Logan's voice that sounded a little off, but he let it go for the moment.

He handed Max the phone, just side-stepping the slap she aimed at him. He still had no idea why she was so mad with him, but didn't push it for the time being. Max talked to Logan quickly, hanging up as soon as she could, she hadn't been really listening anyway. "I'm sorry about that," she said with a sigh as she hung up, "I didn't mean to take it out on you again, but I just really did not need to be talking to Logan right now!" Alec nodded, offering an apologetic smile, though making a mental note to talk to Cindy about all this later.

* * *

She skipped out on him as soon as it was finished - and then came the news about Joshua. She raced over to the scene, trying to find a way down to the sewers to look for him. She swore as she saw all the placards the crowd were waving. All the usual crap about transgenics from people who knew absolutely nothing about them. And now a stupid vigilante gang had chased Joshua - who wouldn't hurt a fly - into the sewers because they thought he was dangerous and a threat to them.

She did eventually find him though, co-ordinating their escape with Logan of course, who had turned up just a little after Max, finding Alec already there to his dismay. He took a slight victory though, in the fact that Alec didn't know where Max was either. 'Some considerate, caring boyfriend he is!', Logan thought. They eventually found an exit route and Alec got out of the car to take care of any guards that might be waiting on the surface. He remembered watching Alec fight White a couple weeks ago. Some stupid residual male pride surfaced then as he realised that despite all his faults, Alec was stronger, faster and more able to protect her than Logan would ever be.

Max climbed up to the surface just in time to see Alec knock the last of the three guards to the floor, having to smile in approval at the flawless roundhouse kick he just executed. Alec smiled to them and made some comment about rescuing her again, but she wasn't really listening. She had already seen Logan's car approaching, and decided she was going to give Logan a little more of a visual. She knew it was a little spiteful, but she couldn't resist. Just as she saw Logan reach a distance where he could make them out, she walked over to Alec, pulling him into a loose hug as she thanked him. Alec was a little confused at the continuing 'friendly' contact, but quickly released her as he saw Logan pull up, not guessing what she was doing.

Flashback #6 - 'Love amongst the runes'

He didn't actually find out about Max's lie to Logan until a couple weeks later. They had gone to find Logan some computer equipment after White's goons trashed his place. Alec wasn't exactly enthused at the task. They had enough going on in Terminal City at the moment already, and Max was still acting strange, but they were still spending hours doing jobs for Logan. They finally found something in an old genetics lab, and it was only then that he decided to ask her about him.

"Why was Logan asking about me?" he said, wondering why the guy had asked Max about him while they were talking earlier. His advanced hearing being strong enough to pick that up. "Just making conversation Alec!" Max shot back, mimicking his words from a few minutes before. But he had caught the slightest flash across her face as she heard the question. It had worried her, though he didn't know why. He didn't find that out 'til they got back to their 'HQ' and he offered to take the equipment round to Logan himself.

"You can't really send any of the uh, mutant parade over there - I'll do it". "You don't have to," Max said, quickly, grabbing the bag back from him. "I don't mind," Alec said, wondering what was bothering her. "I can ask...Biggs to take it when he gets here," Max adlibbed quickly. "Okay, I can understand why you don't want to go over there," Alec said, still not getting it, "but I can do it. I mean, the sooner he gets it, the better". He took the bag again, but again, Max grabbed it off him. "Leave it," she said, more firmly.

"What is your problem?" Alec asked, wondering what exactly could have spooked Max so much. Max hesitated, she had managed to avoid telling him so far, but he was starting to look angry, so she figured she'd have to do it. "I guess you're going to find out sooner or later," she said, avoiding his eye line, "I...I told Logan you and me were together". What she hadn't been prepared for was the hurt in his voice. She'd expected him to laugh, to make some kind of cocky comeback, something typically 'Alec' - she hadn't expected him to be upset.

"What?" "I'm sorry," Max said, looking up at him now, "I had to". "Are you kidding?" Alec asked, still hoping she was. But she just shook her head, "This virus thing isn't going anywhere, and I can't afford any more accidents. He came over to see me the morning after I got you out of jail and he saw us together - he jumped to conclusions and...and I didn't correct him". Alec couldn't believe it. He was just coming to terms with his feelings for Max, and accepting that she didn't return them, when she had to use him as an...excuse so she could break up with Logan.

A lot of things swam into focus then. Why Logan had been asking about him. Why she put on that display of hugging him in front of Logan when they had gone to rescue Joshua. He thought she might at least have had some feelings for him, but she was just faking it the whole time. "Why do you have to drag me into it?" he asked, hurt still obvious in his face and voice. "I..." Max started, realising just how upset he was, but not understanding why, "I'm sorry - I had to push him away".

"Yeah so blame Alec right?" Alec snapped back, now more angry than anything else, "'Cause he's just the kind of jerk that'd steal another guy's girl!" "Please, don't," Max said as Alec snatched the bag and began to walk out. "Max, whatever's going on with you and Logan has nothing to do with me," he said, resolutely, trying to ignore the pain he was feeling, "I'm not going to be the bad guy". Max just let him go in the end. She was scared of what he would say to Logan, but she had to admit that she was worried about him too. She hadn't seen him that upset for quite a while, and she had no idea why.

* * *

Alec had planned to tell Logan the truth as soon as he got over there. He didn't want Max play-acting like she was dating him if she was still in love with Logan and actually felt nothing for him. But as he started to listen to Logan's words, something stopped him. Logan had really come to terms with it, he realised. He certainly wasn't happy about it, but he had let her go. He didn't sound angry or sad or anything really - just resigned to the way things were now. "Just treat her right," Logan said, and that was all he could face saying to Alec then. "I will," was Alec's only response and he walked back out of the house.

* * *

Max was trying seriously hard to drown her sorrows that night at Crash. It had been about four hours since Alec had gone over to Logan's and she hadn't heard anything from either of them since. Cindy sat opposite her, taking her hand as Max drained another pint glass. "It had to come out sooner or later boo," she said, trying to sound comforting. "Yeah, I guess so," Max replied, but she didn't look any happier. OC saw Alec approaching then, and she got up to talk to him first. "Don't make her feel any worse than she already does," she warned, poking her finger into his chest to enforce her point.

She walked off then to give them some privacy, and Alec took her seat opposite Max, not speaking at first while he finished his drink. Max sighed then, he was really going to make her work for this. "So, you gonna tell me what happened?" she asked eventually. Alec drained his glass and then looked up at her. "I didn't tell him," he said, knowing that's what she was asking. That surprised Max quite considerably, he had looked really mad that morning - why didn't he tell Logan the truth?

"Thanks," she said, hoping he would provide some explanation of his own. "I just figured you were right," Alec said, "I mean, you had to tell him something". "Only that's not what pushed him away - I don't know what could". 'Great', Max thought, something else to make her feel even worse. "He let go," Alec said, "because he wanted you to be happy". Max sat back, taking all this in. "Now don't you go cryin' on me," Alec said, lightening the tone a little, "'cause he said I have to take care of you!"

Max managed a small laugh then, despite how rough she was feeling inside. "Thanks Alec," she said again, "I know I should have told you the truth earlier - I'm sorry I let it get this far". She reached forward, letting her hand rest over his, "And I'm sorry if you thought that was the only reason that we were getting along now," she said, guessing that was what had been upsetting him, and smiling in relief as she saw him relax a little. "I'm really glad we're friends now," she said, missing the twinge across his face as she said 'friends', "and that has nothing to do with Logan".

He managed a smile back, taking her hand in his and rubbing his thumb against her palm. That's when he saw the runes. They were back at TC in less than half an hour, using the video link they had set up to show Logan the runes. "Maybe they're a message," Logan suggested eventually. "From who?" Max asked. "Father," Joshua offered, speaking up from behind them. "He could be right," Logan said, "maybe Sandeman coded them into you like your barcode". "Are there any more?" Logan asked, looking down for a second as he wrote something down.

"Yeah, there's a few across my collar bone," Max said, pulling her collar down on one side and then the other so Logan could capture the images off the vid link to study later. Max looked to Alec then, gesturing for him to carry on the scene they had worked out earlier. "Don't forget the ones on your stomach," he said, which drew Logan's attention of course. He looked up again as Max lifted her shirt fairly high up to reveal some more runes.

He typed a few keys on the keyboard then, capturing those too, trying not to think about how Alec had seen them. "Any more?" Logan asked, not looking up at the screen as he spoke. "Don't think so," Max said, again turning to Alec, who helpfully played along. "Nope - that's it," he said, "I don't remember any more". "Alright," Logan said, moving in to swiftly cut off their conversation, "I'll get to work on these - call me if you find any more".

He clicked off then, not able to look at the two of them anymore at the moment. Max breathed a quiet sigh as the feed went dead at their end, pulling her shirt back down again and waiting for the others to disperse before she talked to Alec. "Thanks for that," she said, "looks like it worked". "Yeah," Alec agreed, "you okay?" "I will be," was the best Max could manage, touching his arm as she moved past him, going to talk to Joshua.

* * *

All in all, it had been a fairly heavy few days. It had been the next day when they got Biggs. Alec and Max had got there as soon as possible, but it was already too late. Biggs was already hanging from the bridge, all life gone from him. She hadn't stopped him and Joshua when they had gone out looking for the guys that did it. She didn't know Biggs all that well, but if it had been someone she had known, she would have been out there doing exactly the same thing.

They weren't out long anyway. They came back, Alec nursing the beginnings of a black eye. Max frowned a little at that, as he came over to talk to her. "I take it you found them," Max said, going off for a second to find something to clean up his eye - there was a small cut just below his right eye that she wanted to clean up. "Yeah," Alec said as she returned, "I stopped it before it got too serious, but they should think twice before attacking any transgenics again".

Max nodded, knowing how upset he actually was. "I'm really sorry about Biggs," she said quietly. Alec just nodded, not really feeling like talking yet. "So what happened here?" Max said as she dabbed at the cut, devoting more attention than was probably necessary really. X5s healed fast. The cut needed cleaning but after that, it'd be fine. He wouldn't even have a bruise the next morning. Alec wondered a little at her attention to him, but he wasn't going to stop her.

"Lucky hit," Alec said in answer to her question, "he just swung at me when I wasn't paying attention". "Well you should be fine," Max said, finishing up and sitting down next to him. "Wow, long couple days, huh?" Alec said, a slight smile on his face. "Guess so!" Max said, unconsciously leaning back against him as he rested one arm round her shoulders. "Yeah well, it's gotta get better eventually, right?" he said. "I hope so,", Max said, not even attempting to move. Joshua wandered by below them, he had been planning to talk to Max, but he wouldn't disturb her now for the world.

Hmm…so, one more flashback to go and then we're into the main story, just got to re-write 'Freak Nation' first - guess you know my feelings about that episode by now! *SS*